Early Bedtimes May Prevent Obesity

Putting preschoolers to bed early may help keep them from becoming obese later in life. Among 977 U.S. children born in 1991, those who were typically in bed by 8 p.m. at ages 4 and 5 were less than half as likely to be obese at age 15 than those who went to bed later than 9 p.m. The association remained after researchers adjusted for factors such as gender, racial and ethnic group, birth weight, and mother’s education and level of obesity. It may be that staying up later gives kids more opportunity to eat and also raises hormone levels that increase their appetite. Source:The Journal of Pediatrics, published online July 14, 2016